I PRESTON GRATIOT

nee again, the manu­facturers are introducing the latest offerings to the motor­

ing pubic, and you can be as­sured this will be accompanied with all of the horns and trumpets befitting such a gala celebration. Chevrolet and Pontiac go topless and shiftless by approving the new four­speed-automatic Cavalier and Sun.fire for towing in '96, besting Saturn's automatic dinghy by offering the duo as flat-towable convertibles! Other notable announcements for '96 include the introduction of several new vehicles catering to the adventurous at heart, in the sport-utility­vehicle (SUV) category, such as the Kia Sportage and Suzuki X-90.

But before you run out and start buying the tow bars, lighting harnesses and gravel guards for your family flivver, there are a few things to study and consider before the pur-chasing starts. T his same "home­work" applies to those of you ready to make the big step and purchase one of the new '96 vehicles specifi­cally to join your recreational livery as a motorhome dinghy

First, choose a candidate vehi­cle based on your needs. Parameters should include passenger comfort and safety, economical operation, maneuverability, performance and even long-range resale values.

But the most important thing for you to do before final­ly spending any money on anything is to read the owner's manual. Tak­ing advice from a sales­person on the tow-ability of a Ford Explorer V-8

vehicle is not reliable. Read the owner's manual and verify the restrictions and recommended procedures that apply to your specific vehicle. We constantly get letters and phone calls from readers who took the word of a salesperson or mechanic that a vehicle could be towed on all fours, only to find out later that the information was incorree:t and the error expensive.

All of the 1996 model-year vehicles listed in the accom­panying data table are approved by the manufacturers to be towed on all fours behind a motorhome (when equipped and used as specified) without accessories such as dollies, drive­shaft disconnects or lubrication pumps. However, there may be several versions of owner's manuals during a vehicle's pro-

duction run, and manufacturers have been known to change policy in the middle of a model year. T he informa­tion contained here is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of printing.

If your vehicle doesn't show - up on this listing, that doesn't mean

you can't tow it behind your motor­home, it just indicates that it is notfactory approved for flat towing and

Pontiac Sunfire SE

you will have to utilize one of the towing accessories, such as a towing dolly, trailer or some other device, listed in the "Dinghy-Towing Ac­cessory Buyers Guide" on page 65.

I GENERAL MOTORS

Big news from GM is the inclusion of the Cavalier and Sunfire series with the

four-speed automatic into GM's flat-towing lineup. (GM Service Bulletin 53-01-05, November, 1995) Saturn is the only other manufacturer to approve towing its passenger cars with automatic transmissions. How­ever, the Cavalier and Sun.fire are the only towable automatic cars offered as true convertibles!

Both the Cavalier and the Sunfire received major redesigns last year, and the 15.2-gallon gas tank gives the sun-loving convertibles a 380-city/560-highway mile range. Standard safety features include four-wheel ABS and dual air bags.

Chevrolet/GMC also unveiled some new truck innovations including the "Easy Access System," a third

MomRHoME, MARCH 1996 55

I DINGHY TOWING '96

door that is available as an option on the extended cab GMC Sonoma and the Chevrolet S-Series. The 4WD versions of both vehicles, with both manual and automatic transmis­sions, are flat towable when equipped with a manual trans­fer case. Trucks with the electric-shift transfer case (there is

continues to offer a full line of 4WD vehicles approved for towing. While the Wrangler is technically not being offered as a '96 model, the popular off-road soldier should be avail­able for purchase throughout the year until the new Wrang­ler's reintroduction as a new '97 model later this year.

The Cherokee and the Grand Cherokee offer an im­proved 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine that is designed to run quieter with more usable torque at lower engine speeds. Four-wheel-drive systems have also been upgraded on both models to improve traction in both on- and off-road conditions.

Grand Cherokee gets minor cosmetic changes to 'the exterior and offers an optional integrated child safety seat along with standard driver and passenger air bags. In addition, technical writers at Jeep have produced excellent owner's manuals for years that provide easy-to-understand instructions on the proper towing of their vehicles.

no neutral position) or two-mRIR,l'lllll(lll.,.-,;�----�'"-i'l!IF'::-'""''lllf'.��r-"'!11• I FORD/MERCURYwheel drive (2WD) models are

not approved for flat towing. Ford Motor Corporation con-Performance is up in tinues to offer a wide array of tow-

the GMC Jimmy/Chevrolet ---=---- able vehicles. If lightweight and high-Blazer models (towable with mileage are what you're looking for, both automatic and manual the Aspire, at 2,004 pounds, will de-transmissions when ordered === liver 36-city/42-highway On the more with the manual 4WD trans- luxurious side, you have the Ford fer case), which benefit from Explorer and its new clone the Mer-, an additional 15 hp. Tahoe cury Mountaineer. Both feature a benefits from the new Vortec �--· --� new neutral-tow option for the 4.0-technology with the new 5700 Niss an Path fl n de r LE y. 6 liter engine with 4WD that allows Sequential Fuel Injection (SFI) V-8 that produces 50 more the popular SUV Fords to be flat-towed when equipped horsepower than last year's standard engine. .-----------------::: cc=-------, (effective

Geo Metro is this year's winner when it comes ���- production to miserly fuel consumption, averaging a commend- date Dec-able 44-city/49-highway mpg rating, which equates a ember 1, range of 465-520 miles. While the gas-sipping, three- 1995) with cylinder, inline engine only produces 70-hp, the Geo ---=�!liij an auto-only weighs a scant 1,808 pounds. All Geo vehicles, matic trans-including the Geo 11:acker SUVs, are equipped with ��itfi;��-!!;P mission both driver and passenger air bags. ,._�1;1;ii"' and the

I CHRYSLER CORPORATION

Neon, the bright light from Dodge/Plymouth, continues to carry the dinghy pennant for Chrysler Corpo­ration's domestic car line. With its low rolling weight (base 2,343 pounds) and powerful, optional 150-hp engine, the Neon is a real performer. Now available in both two- and four-door ver­sions, the roomy little car can be towed when equipped with the manual transmission.

Chrysler's Jeep Division

56

electroni­cally acti­vated auto-matic trans­

fer case. This system can be enabled at the dealer service department with the aid of information encoded on a CD-ROM disc.

Ford truck enthusiasts can also choose the Bronco, Ranger or the redesigned F-150 pickup, although it takes a hefty motorhome to tow the heavy larger trucks. T he next genera­tion F-150 was recently introduced as a 1997 model and will appear in showrooms early this year.

As it has been for quite some

I DINGHY TOWING '96

TOWABLE CARS MANUFACTURER BASE CURB SPEED/DISTANCE TOWABLE TOWABLE EPA MPG BASE

WEIGHT LIMITS W/MANUAL TRANS W/ AUTO TRANS CITY/H WY RETAIL PRICE

CH EVR OL E T

Beretta 2,756 none yes no 24/36 $13,490 Cavalier 2,617 none yes yes* 25/37 $10,500 Corsica 2,745 none yes no 25/32 $14,385 •With 4-speed automatic

D O D G E / P L Y M O U .T H

Neon 2-dr 2,385 none yes no 29/38 $9,495 ·Neon 4-dr 2,343 none yes no 29/38 $9,995

.t

j E A GL E

Summit 2-dr 2,085 none yes no 33/39 $10,090 Summit 4-dr 2,250 none yes no 26/33 $12,537 Summ·it Wagon 2,734 none yes no 24/29 $14,499

FORD / M E R C U R Y

Aspire 2,004 55/none yes no 36/42 $8,790

h-Contour /Mystique 2,769 55/none yes no 24/34 $13,785 Escort 2,323 55/none yes no 25/31 $10,065

,r, Probe 2,690 55/none yes no 26/33 $13,930 �- Tracer 2,409 55/none yes no 31/38 $11,755

·eGE O

r- Metro 1,808 55/none yes no 44/49 $8,085

H Y U ND A I

Accent 2,101 legal/none yes no 28/37 $8,285 Elantra 2,458 legal/none yes na 24/32 N/A Sonata 2,864 legal/none yes no 21/28 $13,399

n M IT S U B ISH I

Mirage 2,085 none yes no 32/39 $10,440

1 N IS S A N

1S- 200SX 2,330 70/500 yes no 30/40 $12,449 240SX 2,753 70/500 yes no 22/28 $18,359 300ZX 3,287 60/200 yes no 19/26 $37,439 Altima 2,853 70/500 yes no 24/30 $15,649

Maxima 3,001 70/500 yes no 22/27 $20,999 Sentra 2,315 70/500 yes no 30/40 $11,499

)-

IS· P ON T IA C

::d Grand Am 2,881 55/none yes no 23/33 $13,999 Sunfire 2,679 55/none yes yes* 24/36 $11,999

::d •With 4-speed automatic

S A T U R N

SC-series 2,282 65/none yes yes manual 29/40 $12,195

it auto 27/37

SL-series 2,348 65/none yes yes manual 29/40 $10,495 .e auto 27/36 '."a- S W-series 2,437 65/none yes yes manual 28/38 $11,995

auto 27/36

S UZUKI

e Swift Hatchback 1,878 55/none yes no 39/43 $13,499

MOTORHOME, MARCH 1996 57 I

I DINGHY TOWING '96

TOWABLE SPORT-UTILITIES AND PICKUPS

MANUFACTURER BASE CURB SPEED/DISTANCE TOWABLE TOWABLE EPA MPG BASE WEIGHT LIMITS W/MANUAL TRANS W/AUTO TRANS CITY/HWY RETAIL PRICE

C H E VR OL E T

Blazer 4WD 3,814 none yes* yes* 16/21 $21,204 5-10 4WD 3,356 none yes* yes* 16/21 $15,710

*With manual transfer case

D OD GE

Dakota 3,630 none yes* yes* 15/19 $16,114

Ram 4,510 none yes* yes* 13/17 $18,492

'With 4WD only

FOR D

Bronco 4WD 4,587 55/none yes* yes* 14/17 $22,840 Explorer 2WD 3,690 55/none yes rio 18/23 $19,570 Explorer 4WD 3,927 55/none yes** yes** 16/20 $21,535 F-Series 4WD 4,063 55/none yes* yes* 14/17 $17,190 Ranger 2WD 2,961 55/none yes no 22/27 $10,425 Ranger 4WD 3,340 55/none yes* yes* 20/25 $15,890

*With manual transfer case; *'with electric or manual transfer case

GE O

Tracker 2-dr 2,246 55/200* yes* yes* 24/26 $13,285 Tracker 4-dr 2,434 55/200* yes* yes* 24/26 $14,885

'With manual hubs only; ofter 200 miles operate engine one minute with manual transmission in second, automatic transmission in drive

GM C

Jimmy 4WD 2-dr 3,760 none yes* yes* 17 /22 $21,456 Jimmy 4WD 4-dr 4,007 none yes* yes* 17/22 $23,504 Sonoma 4WD 3,469 none yes* yes* 17/22 $15,730

'With manual transfer case

JE E P

Cherokee 3,069 none yes* yes* 19/22 $16,160 Grand Cherokee 3,590 none ye

_s• yes* 15/20 $26,571

'With 4WD only

KIA

Sportage 2WD 3,069 55/400* yes* no 19/23 $13,995 Sportage 4WD 3,280 55/400* yes* no 20/24 $15,295

*After 400 miles operate engine for o few minutes to lubricate transmission

M AZD A I-S E R IE S P ICKU P

2WD 2,927 55/none yes no 25/28 $10,005 4WD 3,242 55/none yes* yes* 22/26 $15,100

'With manual transfer case

N IS S A N

Pathfinder 3,815 60/200/500* yes•• no 15/18 $21,549 Pickup 2WD 2,805 60/500 yes no 22/26 $10,394 Pickup 4WD 3,470 60/500 yes** no 18/20 $15,489

*V-6 engine 200-mile limit; 4-cylinder 500-mile limit; 0transfer case must be left in 2H, transmission in neutral

S UZUKI

Sidekick 2-dr 4WD 2,546 55/200* yes* yes* manual 23/26 $14,669 auto 23/24

Sidekick 4-dr 4WD 2,747 55/200* yes* yes* manual 23/26 $15,999 auto 23/25

Sidekick Sport 4WD 2,917 55/200* yes* yes* manual 23/25 $17,999 auto 21/24

X-90 SUV 4WD 2,734 55/200* yes* yes* manual 25/28 $13,400 auto 23/27

'With manual hubs only; ofter 200 miles operate engine one minute with manual transmission in second, automatic transmission in drive

58

time, if you want to flat-tow a Ford with an automatic transmission, you have to select a 4WD pickup or SUV. With the exception of the Explorer (and we assume the Mountaineer will share the newly announced neutral tow feature, although it is not certain), you must also order the manual-shift transfer case to maintain your full warranty coverage. You may have trouble finding this particular option, as most dealers pre-order their auto­matic transmission-equipped vehicles with the electric-shift transfer case. However, the Explorer models with the electric-shift 4WD are towable when equipped with the five-speed manual transmission.

I KIA Kia's new Sportage enters the com­

pact-SUV playing field. Both the 2WD and 4WD versions are towable when equipped with manual transmissions as long as the engine is operated after

I DINGHY TOWING '96

every 400 miles of tethered travel to circulate oil in the transmission. How­ever, if the manual gearbox 4WD Sport­age is equipped with manual-locking hubs, there is no mileage limit.

I MAzDA

Mazda's B-series 4WD pickups continue to be the company's only vehicles approved for dinghy service when towed in the four-wheels-down mode. However, the pickups, avail­able in two cab configurations, can be optioned-out into elegant little light-duty haulers that seat up to four people.

I NISSAN

Leading Nissan's parade of tow­ables is the new-for-'96 Pathfinder SUV. Featuring a restyled body with expanded dimensions inside and out, the Path­finder also receives a new, more pow­erful 3.3-literV-6 engine, unibody con-

struction, standard four-wheel ABS and dual air bags.

While Nissan does not address flat-towing in its owners' manuals, technical bulletins NTB91-061 and NTB90-004 cover 1987 through 1991 models. These still apply to the drive­lines with manual transmissions that are used in 1996. Nissan stipulates a distance limit on all its cars and trucks: 500 miles for manual transmission models equipped with the four-cylin­der engines and 200 miles for vehicles equipped with the manually shifted V-6 engines Q10wever, the V-6 option,available on '95 pickups, is plannedfor deletion in the '96 series). Whenthis distance is reached, the engineshould be started and allowed to runfor a few minutes to help ensure prop­er lubrication of the transmission.

Nissan pickups are available in both Regular Cab, and KingCab models in trim levels from the base, bare models to the full-dress SE 4x4 KingCab.

Superior Hanclling. ■ Top of the Line Mini '.21', '.241

1 '.26' ,,,..,

__ .,.. ■ Sold Factory Direct �•

�;f-:«J �Bl'C'eR�_Nt�

J�-- REE. Motorcoach, Inc.Highway 169 North P.O. Box 39

Humboldt, Iowa 50548 t -800-247-1835

\.

59

I

I SATURN

As one of the most popular vehicles when it comes to motorhome dinghies, the Saturn family of cars, including the SL sedan, the wagon and the coupe led the field by being the first passenger cars approved for flat-towing with an automatic trans­mission. For '96, the Saturn lineup gets an improved roofline, promising more headroom and easier entry to the more accommodating interior, and improved aerodynamics with its new wind-cheating shape.

I SUZUKI

Suzuki enters 1996 with the new X-90 mini-SUV This new two-seater re­quires the manual hub option in order to be flat-towable. A tankful of gaso­line should be good for 250-280 miles of cruising in the fuel-frugal X-90, de­pending on terrain and traffic.

Suzuki's second new entry for

I DINGHY TOWING '96

'96 is the Sidekick Sport, a new, more powerful "flagship" version of the existing Sidekick compact SUV lineup. The Sport features a front and rear track 2 inches wider than the standard Sidekick two- and four-door, and is powered by a new, 1.8-liter, dual over­head cam (DOHC), fom-cylinder en­gine that generates 120 hp-25 per­cent more than any previous Sidekick engine. The Sport's list of safety fea­tures includes front air bags, rein­forced side-impact protection, day­time running lights and standard four­wheel ABS.

Suzuki also offers the more sedate Esteem front-wheel-drive sedan, cowable when equipped with the manual transmission only Stand­ard equipment includes air-condition­ing, front air bags, reinforced side­impact beams, rear-door child-safety locks and daytime running lights. Four-wheel ABS brakes are available as an option on the upscale GLX model.

I SUMMARY

Before selecting a dinghy vehicle, be sure to weigh your motorhome when it is fully loaded for a trip, including fuel, water, propane, food, cargo and passengers. Subtract this amount from the gross combination weight rating (gcwr) of the coach to determine how much weight the mocorhome is rated co tow.

Also, refer to state laws and the motorhome chassis manufacturer's recommendation regarding brakes on towed vehicles. Ford specifically urges that a separate functional brake sys­tem be used on any towed vehicle weighing over 1,500 pounds.

No matter what make and model you choose, always double check the options required by the manufacturer for dinghy-towing approval by reading all applicable information, including the owner's manual. Then be sure to follow all recommended towing pro­cedures. I

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